NBC4 Weathercaster Fritz Coleman Will Serve as Emcee.
Los Angeles, CA - April 16, 2012 - The House Research Institute is proud to present Hear the Experts, an entertaining and informative evening dedicated to educating adults about common hearing health concerns affecting them or their friends and loved ones. A Southern California broadcasting icon and long-time stand-up comic, Fritz Coleman will serve as emcee.
The event - free to the public - will be presented at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles on May 1, 2012, from 7:30 pm until 9:00 pm. The DGA theater is located at 7920 Sunset Boulevard. The program will engage the audience in a dynamic, interactive discussion about the hearing loss issues of greatest concern to the public today;common misconceptions about hearing loss;treatment options, including a realistic look at what today's hearing aids and implants can and cannot do;and the cell, molecular and genetic studies underway to uncover revolutionary treatment possibilities in the future.
Today, there are more than 36 million adults in America with reported cases of hearing loss;millions more cases of hearing loss remain unreported. Hearing loss cases among adolescents has increased 30% over the course of the last decade, now affecting an estimated one in five teenagers.
"Hearing loss can have a dramatic impact on a person's everyday life. The scientists at the House Research Institute are working to find the causes of hearing loss and to develop new technology to treat hearing loss. We hope Los Angelenos will join us for a fun and informative evening," said James Boswell, chief executive officer, House Research Institute.
Panelists for the Hear the Experts forum include House Clinic Physician, M. Jennifer Derebery, MD;the institute's EVP of Research Neil Segil, Ph.D.;institute researcher Bob Shannon, Ph.D.;and House Clinic Audiologist, Jennifer Howard, AuD.
The program is interactive, with the audience playing a key role in the events of the evening. Audience voting equipment will be used to quiz the audience's knowledge on each question posed by the moderator before the experts shed light on the correct answers. The evening will conclude with a valuable prize presented on stage to the audience member who answered the most questions correctly, followed by a 15-minute audience Q&A.
To register for the event, please visit hearingla.houseresearch.org. Long-time House Research Institute supporter Florence Henderson is lending her voice to the institute's campaign on Crowdrise, www.crowdrise.com/houseresearch.
Fritz Coleman
Fritz Coleman is NBC4's weathercaster on the weekday editions of Channel 4 News. A Southern California broadcasting icon, Coleman is well known for his sense of humor and extensive knowledge of weather. Coleman has been named "Best Weathercaster" in nearly every major paper in Southern California, including the Orange County Register, the San Bernardino Sun, and four times in the Los Angeles Daily News.
Coleman won a number of awards and honors for his dedication to community service. The City of L.A. named Coleman a "Treasure of Los Angeles" in 1999, and the United States House of Representatives gave him the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his fundraising efforts on behalf of the American Red Cross.
A long-time stand-up comic, Coleman has performed at The Improvisation, The Ice House and other Southern California comedy clubs. He has also written, produced, and starred in three one-man plays.
Collaborative Partners
The House Research Institute is pleased to share this important evening with corporate sponsors Amplicom USA, Oticon Medical, Cochlear Americas, and Widex USA as well as collaborating partners from the Los Angeles area: House Clinic, John Tracy Clinic and Oralingua. The sponsors and partners will have representatives on hand to introduce people to the options in services and technology for hearing health in the Los Angeles area.
About the House Research Institute
The House Research Institute, formerly the House Ear Institute, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with hearing loss and related disorders through scientific research, patient care, and the sharing of knowledge. Institute scientists research the auditory system, at the level of function, as well as at the cellular, molecular and genetic levels. We also explore the neurological interactions between the auditory system and brain, and study ways to improve auditory implants, diagnostics, clinical treatments and intervention methods. We share our knowledge with the scientific and medical communities as well as the general public through our education and outreach programs. For more information about the House Research Institute, please call (800) 388-8612 or (213) 483-4431, E-mail info@hei.org or visit www.houseresearch.org.
